I'm not a food critique, just a food lover and shares the joy with others out there....Please do note that taste is a matter of individual opinion and can differ from one to another. All views expressed here are purely based on my taste buds and preferences......

Saturday, 29 June 2013

Paniya Korean Restaurant @ Solaris Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur

In the mood for Korean food tonight, we headed over to Solaris Mont Kiara in search of a Korean restaurant. I had not decided on the restaurant and was in the mood to randomly choose on the place. I know that is not a problem here as this place is flooded with Japanese and Korean restaurants. Since we got the parking bay quite close to Ravi's Restaurant, the very first restaurant that I sighted was Paniya Korean Restaurant that is located above Ravi's and we just just headed over to try this place.

Paniya Korean Restaurant above Ravi's

Paniya Korean Restaurant above Ravi's

Located on Jalan Solaris 2, this restaurant lies right above Ravi's and it is quite easy to spot this place as it is the very first row of shops at the entrance to Solaris Mont Kiara. There is a lift that conveniently brings you to the first floor.

Interior of the Restaurant

Interior of the Restaurant

Interior of the Restaurant

The moment we walked in, we were greeted in Korean. The restaurant was very well designed and it was spacious. Within this small space, they have a designated smoking area. The lady boss and her husband, both Koreans, greeted us too which was a very nice gesture. The surprising thing that I noticed was that all their staffs were Bangladeshis and as this is a BBQ & Teppan style restaurant, they were the ones who were preparing the food. Must have been well trained by the owners since they allow them to cook and prepare the food for Koreans. Except for us, the rest of the customers today were all Koreans.

Hi-Tech Menu

Cold Water...on the house

Once we were seated, we were given a Samsung tablet instead of a menu card. The entire menu was in the tablet and I am impressed with the adoption of technology here. Its a much better way then to have them printed on paper cards. In case of any amendments in future, it could be easily modified in the tablet as opposed to those print menus. Definitely more environmental friendly too. Water again was on the house and they had these beautiful bottles and cute little silver cups on all the tables.

Four Side Dishes on the house

Four side dishes on the house

Here, the side dishes were limited to four. In most places, it may go to as many as ten but commonly, it is around eight. Here they were limited to four and these were not refillable. You cannot choose the items as they are based on daily rotation. Today we were served Stir Fried Anchovies, Pickles, Rolled Up Eggs and Cabbage Kimchi. Overall these dishes were pretty decent but my ratings for these is a little lower due to the limitation of variety and the fact that it is not refillable. The Rolled Up Eggs were also limited to two small pieces as they were two of us. I would only rate these at 6/10 but taste wise, they were good.

Seaweed Soup on the house

This again is a rotational soup that is prepared and served to customers on the house. The usual varieties available are Seaweed Soup, Bean Sprouts Soup and Spinach Soup. Today, it was Seaweed Soup. It had a slightly pungent taste to it, though it smelled great, but as you drank it down it was really nice. The Seaweed was slimy in texture and tasted good. Definitely something unique that I had not tried before. I would rate this soup at 9/10 and it is great that they offer this FOC to all customers.

Dak Galbi @ RM 20.00

Dak Galbi when raw

Dak Galbi Cooked Before Us

Dak Galbi is served

The above Dak Galbi was another interesting dish. It was cooked right before us by the workers. It is literally pan fried chicken with cabbage and Kimchi. It was very interesting to see how they prepare it. Usually we only get to taste them and today at this restaurant, we were able to witness how it is made. A sure treat to those who love to watch their food being prepared. Now coming to this dish, the dish was perfect. Slightly spicy but delicious. Definitely a recommended dish here. I would rate this dish at 9.5/10 .

Pa Jeon @ RM 25.00

This is the Korean Pancake this comes with Green Chilies and Onions and it is dipped into the soy sauce before eating. This is one of my favourite Korean dishes and I find that it was quite decent here though not the best that I had tried. I would rate this at 8/10 .

Kim Chi Man Doo @ RM 20.00

This dish again was cooked before us. It is Kim Chi Soup which comes with cabbage, steamed dumplings, mushrooms and glass noodles. For RM 20.00, the portion was very decent. This is slightly on the spicy side and it packed with flavours. Both of us thoroughly enjoyed this soup and we cleared this dish. It was completely dry by the time we were done with it. I would rate this dish at 10/10 .

Chop Steak Pork being cooked

A Closer Look at the raw materials

Pork Steak Chop @ RM 25.00

This was the last dish that we had ordered tonight and again, this was cooked in front of us. My verdict is that this dish was heavenly. I loved the way the Pork cubes were cooked, the gravy and sauce had seeped in well to the meat. The capsicum definitely added a nice twist in taste to this dish. The flavours of the meat was sealed well and with every bite, the juices the flowed out from the meat was heavenly. A highly recommended dish. I would rate this dish at 10/10 .

To add to the above, we were also served two slices of really sweet watermelons for desert and this again was on the house. I find this place to be really great and I am happy that I had chosen a right place for dinner, though it was a random selection. They serve great food, the atmosphere is wonderful, prices are decent and the hospitality is warm. You also get to see how most of the dishes are prepared as they prepare it before your eyes. Definitely a great Korean Restaurant.